James L. Bromley

Partner

“Tremendously talented, incredibly smart and able to pick up issues very, very quickly.”

Chambers USA, 2016

Bankruptcy Attorney of the Year

Benchmark Litigation

Jim Bromley’s practice is focused on restructuring and litigation advice to creditors, debtors, strategic investors, and government actors.

Over the course of his career, he has been involved with the financial services, telecommunications, shipping, automotive, manufacturing, energy, mining, aviation and retail industries, among others.

Jim has played a leading role in some of the most high-profile restructurings around the world, and he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to pro bono work. He has been recognized by the business and legal press, including The American Lawyer, which named him a “Dealmaker of the Year,” and Benchmark Litigation, which named him “Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year.”

Notable Experience

Recent Highlights

Leading the firm’s representation of Modular Space Corporation in the restructuring of $1 billion in debt through a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

Leading the firm’s representation of Nortel Networks, Inc. and affiliates in their Chapter 11 proceedings, coordinating these complex cases with proceedings in Canada and Europe.

Instrumental in designing and implementing the unique multinational sale process that resulted in the disposition of Nortel’s patent portfolio and its CDMA, Enterprise and MEN businesses, among others, through highly successful auctions conducted under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code and approved in the U.S. and Canada through multiple joint hearings. These groundbreaking sales generated over $7.5 billion in proceeds.

Pro bono victory for LGBTQ rights in the United States that has helped inspire legislation to protect young men and women from the controversial practice of “conversion therapy.” The landmark 2015 jury verdict was handed down the day before the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling supporting same-sex marriage.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring Highlights

Lehman Brothers, in which he represented the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission on the Chapter 11 filing of Lehman Brothers Holdings, the SIPA (Securities Investors Protection Act) filing of broker-dealer Lehman Brothers Inc. and the related sale of substantially all the assets of the broker-dealer on an highly expedited basis. He later led the bankruptcy team that represented Hellman & Friedman in its stalking horse bid (with Bain Capital) for Neuberger Berman.

Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest publicly traded oil tanker companies, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings and successful reorganization. OSG successfully emerged from Chapter 11 in 2014, just 20 months after it filed for protection in the District of Delaware. The reorganization included the first South African recognition of a United States Chapter 11 and imposition of a moratorium in the courts of South Africa, and recognition of the Chapter 11 proceedings by the High Court of Justice in London.

General Motors and Chrysler, in which Jim represented the United Auto Workers in the bankruptcy proceedings of both automakers. The representation dates back to the creation of the VEBA entities to provide medical benefits to UAW retirees and continued through the implementation of the of the landmark Section 363 sales in both cases. Jim also represented the UAW in the hotly contested litigation relating to both sales, which in the case of Chrysler included expedited appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.

United Auto Workers, as official Section 1114 representative of over 5,000 retirees in the bankruptcy proceedings of the Budd Company, a large auto parts supplier. The representation included the investigation of substantial claims against Budd’s corporate parent, which resulted in a settlement worth over $400 million, as well as a bench trial regarding the modification of retiree medical benefits.

Trial Experience

Substantial first-chair trial experience, including jury trials before state, federal and international courts, including co-lead counsel in the cross-border Nortel allocation trial that took place simultaneously before courts in Delaware and Ontario.

Instructor, INSOL, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Loan Syndications Trading Association, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the Practising Law Institute, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the New York University School of Law Continuing Legal Education